Sammy Watkins

Entering the 2014 NFL Draft, the last thing Lions fans had on their minds was drafting a tight end with the 10th overall pick. With the new four-year contract signed by Brandon Pettigrew and the emergence of undrafted rookie Joe Fauria, tight end looked to be a position of strength.

When the Lions picked Eric Ebron out of North Carolina, fans everywhere were perplexed. With Joe Lombardi coming over from the Saints as offensive coordinator, the assumption was Ebron would be used as a Jimmy Graham-type player. Read More…

The Detroit Lions re-signed veteran cornerback Rashean Mathis on Monday. Last year, Mathis led the Lions’ secondary not only in age, but also stats.

With Mathis coming back to the roster, and the Lions’ recent signing of former Indianapolis Colts corner Cassius Vaughn, the total number of defensive backs on the roster rises to seven. The Lions’ secondary is also equipped with two underrated safeties in former Ravens Super Bowl champion James Ihedigbo and Detroit’s returning safety Glover Quin. Behind Quin and Ihedigbo is reliable veteran Don Carey and recent signing Isa Abdul-Quddus.

Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard had a breakout year in 2013. He was crowned the nation’s best defensive back after winning the Jim Thorpe Award and helped pace the Spartans’ defense to a top five national ranking.

Dennard’s individual success, along with the team’s on-field success, has allowed his NFL draft stock to skyrocket.